Sway
by asianktn
Summary: Noir (think Sin City). Syaoran is a half angel, half demon, hired to protect Sakura, a lounge singer, from something more sinister than the average stalker. Updated with: the first training lesson. Delaying the high priestess. Whoops.
1. Chapter 1

**Edited to comply with rules regarding songfics. These lyrics are mine. **

Cigar smoke hung heavy in the air of the Blue Rose Lounge Jazz Club amid the sounds of clinking of happy glasses, a slap on the waitress's rear, and the hearty guffaws of well-to-do men as they watched the entertainment…

"Please show your love for the Blue Roses' newest jewel, from the far reaches of the Orient, the sultry croons of Sakura!" the enthusiastic cry of the ringleader came over the mic.

When the swell of fists banging on tables died, the spotlight shone on the salacious silhouette of a slender vixen of 20, honey brown hair piled in a silken mass in a fashionable twist on her head, exposing the plunge of the glittering beaded sheath dress clinging to her form. Sakura slowly spun around to the strumming of the bass strings, the beads glittering on the bodice of her low-cut pale pink dress, the thin straps at her slim ivory shoulders as she began to sway.

_When the bass begins, it plucks at my heart  
My eyes see you and I feel Cupid's dart  
__Won't you be with me,  
__Stay with me, sway with me?_

Her silken voice floated through the hazy air of the club, the air quieted, but rapt with attention. Sakura flashed a smile as one hand held the mic close to her lips, sensuous cherry lips pouted to her audience as her other hand accentuated her rhythm, the slender arm waving to the beat of her hips as she danced to the thump of the bass, driving her heartbeat.

_In the taste of sunset, it begins  
__Like a sleeping morning glory folding its wings,  
__Chocolate kisses I hold so dear,  
__With you I have nothing to fear._

The men began to cheer as they raised their glasses to her. A man turned up the collar of his trench, nursing his glass of Dewar's in the shadows, but his gaze focused on the hypnotic writhing of the beauty on stage.

_Dance with me on the moonlit floor  
__My heart is painted yours.  
__Only you have the power to make me weak  
__When we dance, cheek-to-cheek._

Sakura was warming up to the crowd. Her diamond jewelry flashed on her slender neck and on her ears, her bracelets catching the gaze of the spotlight and sending a scattering of playing dots in the air as she continued.

_I am sinking deeper into you  
__Catch me smooth, dance with me  
__Fingers idling in your hair  
__Give me more of that honeyed stare_

_  
Dance with me on the moonlit floor  
__My heart is painted yours.  
__Only you have the power to make me weak  
__When we dance, cheek-to-cheek._

Sakura leaned over the piano, crooning to the mic, winking to the dark figure in the shadows, blowing a kiss to another as she offered a flirting kick, crossing her legs demurely as she sat up on the white grand piano, the hem of her skirt frilling up against her upper thighs, her voice growing more powerful, more intense, drowning in a sea of reminiscence as she sang.

_I am sinking deeper into you  
__Catch me smooth, dance with me  
__Fingers idling in your hair  
__Give me more of that honeyed stare  
__Give me more  
__Of that honeyed stare_

Sakura finished to the thunderous clapping and cheering, a few cries for encores rippling through the audience. She grinned and blew a soft kiss to the club as someone passed her a bouquet of flowers…

"Thank you all for your love. Please be sure to listen to me again next week, same time…"

Backstage, Sakura was tired. She leaned against the vanity, staring at her overly made-up face, her fair skin a sticky pallid color under the harsh lighting. She slowly rubbed at her coral lips with a tissue, the vivacious color blending to a softer pink as she wiped away her lipstick.

"Great show, Sakura. I always knew you were a moneymaker."

Her boss barged in the dressing room, the other girls not caring as they strutted around half naked, preparing for the next act. They earned a few grins and spanks from him. They squealed modestly, but their sluttish grins said otherwise. They had every reason to try and milk a raise from their sleazy boss. He was dressed impeccably in a new pinstriped navy suit, topped with a matching fedora held on his head at a jaunty angle, a white silk handkerchief flounced at his breast pocket. It meant he had found new investors, and had come into more money.

"When am I going to see this money, Yamazaki?" She was bored with this routine.

"Now now, you know you get a salary here more than the other girls. Don't push your luck." His smile did not reach his piercing gaze as he rubbed her shoulders, glaring at her hard through the mirror. She shrugged her shoulders and pushed him away.

"And what about the security you promised me?" she asked. As if on cue, a girl in a fantastic lavender feathered costume dropped a basket of flowers on her dressing table wordlessly. Sakura didn't need to read the card. It was the same blood red roses in the basket, the same card that would read "Marry me. Or die." All from an unknown face who must have been watching her shows.

"Fuck you, Yamazaki!" She shrieked as she threw the basket of flowers across the room. "He was in here again!"

"Sakura, it's just a fan. Come on now, he paid good money to see all your shows…"

Sakura just growled at his reasoning and threw on a white jacket, not bothering to change out of her stage dress and slinging on her pink backpack.

"Fuck you, Yamazaki," she repeated. "I want my fucking check by tomorrow."

With that she slipped out into the chilly night air.

Sakura's heels clicked briskly on the pavement as she walked to her apartment a few blocks from the club. A breeze swirled dead leaves around her as she hugged her arms for warmth, gazing surreptitiously at the dark alleys. She regretted leaving in such a hurry without the usual company of her friends to escort her home. But at the time, she just wanted to get away from Yamazaki and the stress of working as a lounge singer. There was a sudden rustle behind her that made her whip around to see nothing but the pitch dark. The streetlight flickered and buzzed yellow ominously above her as a sheet of an old newspaper fluttered by. She raked her hair out of her face, emerald eyes glowing dark, hardened by years of living in the city alone after her sole family, her brother and father, was unexpectedly killed in a hit and run accident.

"Who's there?" her voice was scattered to the wind. Silence echoed to her.

She turned, walking faster to her apartment, fingers digging through her bag. Keys keys keys… she was almost there…

BAM

She was slammed suddenly against the brick wall, dragged into an alley, the wind knocked out of her… she couldn't even scream for help. She found herself struggling under a man who reeked of too much alcohol, the lean man still able to hold a hard grip over her wrists as he pinned them above her head on the wall, kissing her roughly along her neck, stubble scratching her…

"NO!" she finally managed to scream, struggling against his grip… His hands were sliding up her dress, his knee forcing hers apart…

"Did you like my pretty flowers?" he murmured into her neck. Sakura's eyes widened, her blood rushing cold. "I kissed each petal before I had them sent to you."

"No! Get off of me!" She shrieked before his other hand tore at her dress, trying to muffle her screams with his lips, his alcoholic breath washing over her, making her choke. She writhed in his arms, trying to kick him away, but suddenly…

Sakura could breathe. She coughed, rubbing at her throat as she slowly looked up to see the stalker fly toward the wall, his back landing on the brick façade with a sickening crunch. He slumped to the floor and didn't stir. Standing protectively before her was a dark figure of a man, his dark trench fluttering in the wind. The streetlight caught a hint of his chocolate locks, his amber eyes steely as her savior glared critically at the unconscious man. Sakura breathed as she braced against the wall for support, straightening up slightly… He turned slowly to glance at her.

"You ok?"

It was the next to last thing Sakura heard before feeling her knees buckle under her, her eyes shutting as the world grew dark, only aware of someone catching her as she fell to the soft flutter of… wings?


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I had a bigger response than I expected. Thanks for the reviews. It prompted me to write up a second chapter instead of studying for finals. ;;; At the request of one special reviewer, I'll think about throwing a lemon in this. Edit: Can someone let me know how to upload my documents without losing my formatting? xoxoxoxoxoxo serve as line breaks for now...**

Syaoran poured himself a glass of water in the privacy of his apartment. He sighed as he tossed a careless glance over to the sleeping figure on his couch. He walked over slowly, sitting on the edge of his glass coffee table as he studied the girl's mussed honey locks, his eyes tracing along the curve of her cherry lips. She rested her slender wrist over her forehead as she began to stir.

"Au-e-wai… wawa" she mumbled. Syaoran blinked. He prided himself in being a master of languages, but she said something he had never heard of before. Hesitantly, he poked a finger against her cheek.

"Oy. Wake up," he grunted, a bit nervously.

"Wa…wa…" she muttered again heavily, as her eyes finally fluttered open partially, revealing the most brilliant shade of emerald Syaoran had ever seen. Her fingers struggled to point at his hands.

Syaoran glanced down to where she was gesturing, finally noticing the glass in his hands. She was thirsty. He stared at her for a while, a little thrown off by her actions. He knelt closer to her side and tipped the glass partially across her lips, pulling it back immediately as she began to cough and splutter on it, choking as it went down.

"Goddamned, idiot. Are you trying to drown me?" she growled, weakly pulling herself up to sit properly.

Syaoran was bemused, snorting suddenly as she wiped the water away from her cheeks, grabbing the glass from him with a glowering glare before taking a sip. "You speak Japanese."

Sakura answered with a moan, rubbing her forehead. Everything hurt. She glanced up to the dimly lit apartment, gazing around the modern green and black décor before returning her glance to Syaoran. Headache or not, she did not miss the handsome man leaning back on the table as he matched her gaze, smirking slightly. "Who are you?" she asked him.

Syaoran smiled broadly. "You're the first to ask me who I am, and not wonder where you were."

Sakura rolled her eyes, setting the glass down next to him. "I take it I'm not the first girl who woke up here to the face of a grinning stranger, then?"

Syaoran chuckled softly before he extended his palm to her. "Syaoran."

Sakura glanced at it critically before taking it in a firm handshake. "Sakura Kinomoto."

She held his hand for a second longer than necessary. "I take it you're the guy who saved me last night?"

He smiled briefly before letting go of her hand. "I suppose I did."

"Do you make it a habit of yours to patrol dark alleyways at midnight?"

"Came in handy, didn't it?"

Sakura liked this. It was a friendly banter that took years to develop among closer friends. She nodded slightly, her palms resting in the puddle of torn silk of the dress between her thighs.

"Thanks," she whispered quietly. "It's been a while since someone's done something nice for me."

She expected him to say something like "Don't mention it," or "It was no problem. Anyone else would have done the same." But he didn't. He just nodded in acknowledgement and rubbed his palms together. She was glad… He wasn't full of horseshit like the other guys around there. She had a feeling he wouldn't tell her anything that wasn't true.

"Hungry?" he asked her.

Sakura's stomach growled in response.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A few hours after battling over the last spring roll (Sakura was amused to discover that Syaoran was a horrible cook. They had opted to order in after he burned the ramen.), Sakura was wiping the tears from her eyes as she laughed, comfortably slouched on the floor next to Syaoran in his t-shirt and shorts, swimming in the oversized clothes. Hell, the bottom of his shorts reached her ankles.

"So there I was, stark naked on the top of a cherry blossom tree, with no way to get down, and the entire Li clan royalty preparing to walk through the garden for the annual festival."

"Oh my god, so what did you do?" she giggled.

"The only sane thing I could do. Calmly jump down and walk past them, as if nothing were the matter at all," he nodded solemnly.

"I guess it takes a true Li to do that gracefully," she smiled.

"Well, I admire my mother more for not missing a beat and directing the Li elders further down the path to continue the festival." His smile was sad.

"Sounds like you really miss her," she said as she leaned her cheek against her knee as she hugged them.

"She was a great woman."

Sakura nodded slowly before feeling the need to add… "My parents were great too, but they died when I was 13, along with my older brother. After that, Tomoyo took me in, but… she died too." Sakura paused, feeling the tears rise. Her voice cracked with a soft laugh, "I must be a jinx."

Syaoran's expression grew grave. "It wasn't your fault." His palm found hers, squeezing her hand reassuringly. She believed him. But at the time, she didn't realize how wrong he was.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The next morning, Sakura bowed at the entrance of the apartment. She was in her silk dress again, but wore Syaoran's dark leather jacket over it.

"I could drive you home, you know." It was an offer.

She shook her head. "No it's ok. It's not that far, and you've done so much for me already." She paused. "Thank you."

He nodded, gazing down at her silhouette as she walked down the hallway. He did not let her out of his sight as she left the apartment. His fingers drummed along the open sliding door of his balcony, a cool breeze rushing over his body and ruffling his unruly hair as he watched her figure step out onto the sidewalk. He timed it before he leapt outside to the burning sun, his black t-shirt and jeans fluttering in the wind. Tokyo did not notice the flap of raven feathers from the dark angel as he followed his destiny, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, his amber eyes fixed on honey-blonde hair...


	3. Chapter 3

**I was only just made aware of policy against songfics. To remedy that, I made up my own song. Only, it was really hard. I drew inspiration from a French song. But this song is mine. Don't try to translate it. It's only DERIVED from French (think Cirque du Soleil). Don't take it. You can listen to "Donne Moi le Temps" by Jennifer to get a feel of the mood of this chapter. It's also a very pretty song. **

Sakura opened her eyes to the slow, soft croon of the bass. The spotlight glowed brightly over her, the glass-beaded bodice of her black dress playing with the rainbows that glittered out to the audience. The crowd was larger than usual tonight… She flashed a trademark smile to the sea of darkness as she gripped the mic closer to her cherry lips…

_De mon de jean vous lan,  
__De mon etreme  
__Pou c'est donne peuvent  
__De mon d'erou q'un  
__Si pasionte_

The musicians glanced up at her. It wasn't rehearsed. Moreover, they weren't sure what language she was singing, but they continued their notes, easily finding the rhythm in her melodic notes, applying their beat, accentuating the swivel of her hips as she sang…

_Del moi la faire  
__D'accord c'est q'un fau accord  
__Del moi la faire  
__D'avignon je le d'amour  
__D'avignon je le d'amour_

Sakura shut her eyes, her long lashes fluttering as she reminisced the sweet Siren's voices in her dreams, awash on cool azure seas, dancing on the foam as the waves crashed on shore… She was singing a language she had heard only in her dream, never once heard anywhere on Earth…

_Aurar de ciel,  
__Prendre, veux prendre faire voir  
__Aurar de chilon  
__D'esriree, D'esriree…  
__Prendre, veux prendre faire voir  
__Enfants de chilon  
__Pour toi_

The song ended to a thunderous applause. Sakura blushed as she received the bouquet of flowers gratefully, the DJ beginning to put on a dance song, her cue to leave. But just as she turned to step off the stage, her heart fluttered, as if she was missing something, and she scanned the audience again. Her eyes caught a familiar head of unruly chocolate locks.

"Fancy meeting you here," she grinned, setting a bottle of Crown at Syaoran's table. He had seen her coming, and was mildly annoyed for having been caught despite being in the shadows. "Drinks are on me tonight," she winked.

He nodded gruffly as she refilled his glass, the ice clinking in the cup as he lifted it to his lips.

"You're not still keeping an eye on me, are you?" she teased. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Yamazaki glower. She was allowed to mingle after her shows, but it was to promote her image. She knew that chatting with a devastatingly cute guy like Syaoran must get his temper flaring. As if on cue, she saw him reach into his breast pocket, producing a tube of meds to control his blood pressure, and take a few of the small white pills. She smiled; there was nothing sweeter than ending work with her boss in physical pain as she flirted with Syaoran.

Syaoran took a sip of the whiskey, unfazed as he felt her press against his pinstriped blazer, her palms smoothing the imaginary wrinkles of his crisp lime shirt and playing with the opened top buttons. He focused straight ahead at Yamazaki. "Is that an ex of yours you're trying to get jealous?" he asked nonchalantly.

Sakura grinned. Nothing got by Syaoran. "Just my asshole of a boss. I don't particularly like him, so I try my best to make him upset."

It was Syaoran's turn to smile mischievously. He leaned over, slinging an arm easily over her slim ivory shoulders, dragging her into his arms in an intimate embrace. Before she could catch her breath, he tilted her face to his, his lips pressed to her left temple, his eyes never leaving Yamazaki's piercing glare. Sakura gasped softly as she felt Syaoran's hand slide down her back, tracing along her spine and stopping to the small of her back, just above the curve of her rounded bottom. She froze, tempted to wriggle out of his grasp… except he was so comfortably warm.

"And… will this make him more upset?" he whispered softly against her ear, the hot breath weakening her knees as he stroked her hair gently.

Sakura only nodded in response, feeling her cheeks enflamed as she pulled away from his grasp. He released her as easily as he had captured her in his tight grasp. She could see the smallest of a snicker at the corner of his lips as he raised his glass to Yamazaki, saluting him before taking another sip. Yamazaki could only pop a few more pills in his mouth.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sakura hung out more frequently at Syaoran's apartment after work, taking it upon herself that he was eating properly.

"You can't depend on take-out forever, Syaoran," she admonished as she checked how the tilapia was browning. "It's not healthy."

"Sure it is. Luigi's Pizza tells me right on the delivery box that it's the most delicious, most nutritious food in the world!"

Syaoran ate the fish and rice gratefully in the end, although he wasn't keen on trying the spinach and greens. ("Do I _have_ to?" he whined.)

But Sakura found that she didn't feel obligated to making sure that Syaoran was eating properly. She was growing fond of his company, completely at ease and comfortable in his rather small, but cozy apartment. In her life, Sakura had grown to distrust people. The girls only befriended her to take advantage of her good nature, borrowing money without intent to pay her back; the boys were only interested in sleeping with her. Even around guys she dated that she liked, she had never been able to achieve this level of familiarity with them. She was constantly fretting over what to wear, overly conscious of what to say. Whereas with Syaoran… he made her feel beautiful even in one of his old shirts and spattered with baking flour.

Sakura mulled over this wonderful fact in her mind as she leaned her head against Syaoran's shoulder, listening to the gentle rhythm of his breaths as they watched Pulp Fiction. His fingers were idly combing through her hair, her fingers playing with the knit of his sweater.

"Ne… Syaoran?" she finally asked, breaking the silence between them.

"Hm?" he grunted softly, his eyes watching Uma Thurman's dance moves on the screen.

"Can… can I stay here tonight?"

He was silent for a moment. Sakura held her breath, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks for sounding so brazen. Just as she was about to take it back, he said, "As long as I'm not the one sleeping on the couch."

Later that evening, Syaoran found himself pulling up the covers tighter around Sakura's slender form as she slept in his bed. He lost the bet for the bed against Sakura in a free-for-all death match in Soul Calibur (_it's a fighting game for PS2 I love)_. The sting of losing so badly was mollified slightly by Sakura kissing his cheek before she went to sleep. He smirked to himself as he rubbed where her lips had touched, sighing as he stepped out to his veranda, gazing up at the full moon that glimmered indifferently in the velvet night sky.

"How much longer can she not know?" he asked to the emptiness of the heavens.

Sakura stirred slightly in her sleep, shifting the sheets over her. Syaoran smiled, leaning against the balcony rail as he watched the moonlight spill over her face, illuminating her fair skin and dark long lashes.

"Soon… Soon Sakura, I'll tell you everything."


	4. Chapter 4

**I had slowed down the plot a little to insert some sweet fluff in the story, but I think it's ok to insert a bit more of the action sequence in this chapter. I was going to finish it up last night, but I got bogged down with studying for finals… I got one more to go, but I decided I'd work on this chap first. A little background information before we get on with the story, so my reviewers don't die of suspense. Kudos points if you know where I got all my references from. .**

It wasn't real. She knew she was dreaming, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to wake up. It was like she was strapped to her chair and forced to watch… It was the same 13 year old girl in the white sundress, frilled from top to bottom with a pink satin ribbon, a matching straw hat flopped over her head, her hair streaming down as she laughed, backpedaling out of someone's grasp.

_Onii-chan, catch me if you can! _

Her laughter was light, tinkling like crystals in the spring air. Sakura squeezed her eyes tighter. She could almost see him… she could almost see his face…

_Onii-chan! … Onii-chan! _But it was growing darker, until her brother no longer had a semblance of a human… Black feathers flew up in front of her, hiding his face… No! She was so close! If only she could part the sea of feathers… She stretched out her hand, calling to him…

_Onii-chan! Onii-chan! _

"Onii-chan!" Sakura screamed as she sat up suddenly in her bed, her body glowing with perspiration. She breathed heavily, her palm pressed against her thudding heart before realizing she was in her bed. She shivered despite her sweat soaking her thin tank top she used to sleep in, hugging her knees as she rocked herself back and forth… The same dreams plagued her… They varied in characters, each night featuring another close friend or family member who disappeared suddenly from her in a cloud of raven feathers.

Outside her balcony, Syaoran leaned against the tree trunk, his legs stretched out comfortably on the branch. The dense foliage was enough to hide him during the warmer months, but around fall and winter when the leaves browned and crumbled away, like now, he had to exercise more care to not be seen. He let his wings out, the dark silhouette blending in with the night sky.

"So much suffering…" he muttered to himself guiltily. He had seen her have the same nightmares every night since he had been hired to watch over her 5 years ago, told only to protect her from "an ultimate evil." He wasn't sure how he was found, or how the benefactor had even known about him…

Syaoran had lived the first 13 years of his life happily with his parents on Earth in China. His father was leader of the powerful Li clan, his mother the model wife who entertained guests in the Li estates. He was trained to perfection in every aspect, excelling in several forms of martial arts, acing all the exams at his private academy, and behaved as expected of a son of nobility. Servants attended their every whim. Until the day of the revolution.

He remembered the event as a blur. The Chinese citizens were suddenly possessed by anger and revolted against the Li clan.

"Why are they so powerful, while we starve? They own what is rightfully ours!" the peasants had cried as they battered the doors, a mob having formed, armed with torches and wild fury.

A loyal servant that Syaoran had looked up to as a mentor had whisked him away from the calamity, but the boy had pressed back, looking for his father and mother.

"Wei, where are they? If you say it's as dangerous as it is, I'm not leaving until they are safe with me as well." At such a tender age, he was already stubbornly heroic.

Wei, stressed with the ever-nearing voices of the mob, grabbed Syaoran roughly by the shoulders, a steely look replacing the kind one that Syaoran had grown to associate with Wei.

"Go to the Sakura Park you are fond of, young Master," he whispered as he pressed a small flat stone into his palm. It was burned with a red seashell marking. "Drop this into the reflecting pond, and you will know everything."

That was the last time Syaoran had seen Wei alive. Wei had shoved him into the dumbwaiter that the servants used to carry up loads of fresh sheets throughout the vast Li mansion. Just before Wei shut the door of the miniature elevator, shrouding him in darkness, Li heard the bloodthirsty voices of the peasants…

Syaoran had never been so frightened in his life. Dumbly, he could only run to the Sakura Park, knowing that Wei's life would not be spared… He must at least obey his last wishes. He started to run in the dark night, the voices shrinking in the distance. He was blinded by tears, but his feet knew the moonlit path. He tripped over a rock, and cried out as he slid against the dirt path by the pond. The small pebble flew out of his grasp and splashed into the pool.

Almost immediately, the dark waters bubbled. Syaoran's tears were silenced as he watched in wonder, a bright golden light emerging from the depths of the lake. He fell back as he witnessed a large pink seashell erupt from the white foam, and gasped softly as it began to open…

A beautiful woman was lying in the heart of the shell, resting over the pink tongue of the gigantic clam. She was naked, but shielded by her long, fiery red hair. Syaoran sensed the powerful aura even as her eyes only began to flutter open.

"I am Kaho."

The sound entered his mind, but her lips did not move. He did not say anything, but she continued to speak through his thoughts.

"You are not human as you may think you are. God has plans for you."

Syaoran glared at her. "I don't really care about God right now. I want to know if my parents are safe."

But she was deaf to his words. She continued to plunge forward, as if she were merely a recording. "Your father was the head Demon of Discord, Bacchi, your mother the high Archangel Yelan. God has plans for all of us, but our free will twists and warps our fate. Even He did not see that they would fall in love."

Syaoran was mute for a moment before he broke gritting his teeth, his voice strained as he struggled to control his temper. "You've got your wires crossed, lady. My parents are XiaoHu and Yelan Li, the royalty of the Li clan, which has a legacy over 450 years, and a dynasty—"

"All are lies," she interrupted him. "Heaven and Hell rejected their marriage, and they were sent to Earth to live the rest of their mortal lives."

His breath clouded in the air as he tried to comprehend the madness. Just the day before, he was eating dinner with his parents, discussing how much he had improved in jujitsu moves with his trainer who could only glow with admiration for the young Master…

"Open the locket, and eat the seed, Syaoran."

He glanced up, his thoughts broken by her clear voice in his mind. A golden locket had appeared in his palms in a shimmering glow of light. Shaking lightly, he opened the locket, and pulled out the small golden bauble, glancing up to Kaho before he swallowed it. He gasped as the chill shot through him.

"What is this? What is happening?" he choked.

"It is Knowledge. You will know everything, Syaoran," her voice bubbled faintly away.

Syaoran wheezed, trying to breathe, merely watching the gigantic seashell dip back beneath the waters as a cloud of light began to envelop his mind, shutting out his thoughts, slowly slipping away... The dark sky glimmered over the soon placid surface, as if sealing away any evidence that Kaho had ever been there…

When Syaoran woke up, he _knew. _He understood himself, the history, and knew what Kaho had said was true. He stretched out his wings, large, dark feathered structures that disappeared with a thought, and appeared when he needed to fly. And now… he had somewhere to go.

But Heaven and Hell's gates had barred him from entering either place.

"Your father was a demon. You can not enter here," St. Peter told him gravely as he toyed with the Golden Keys to the Gates.

"Your mother was an angel. You can not enter here," Cerberus had growled, each of the three heads foaming at the mouth.

Syaoran realized that he was struck with the same situation his parents had faced when they needed a place to live. Earth was his only option. In Heaven or Hell, he would live forever; on Earth, the world's characteristic would affect him, and would die as a mortal. But that was no matter. Only 13, he had lost both his parents, not to the jealous villagers, but to the evil that had possessed their hearts and slaughtered the members of the Li clan.

And being a poor orphan, none had wanted to hire the youth. ("Scram, you ragamuffin!" cried the baker as he chased him away from his freshly baked loaves. "You're scaring away my customers with your filth!") He was left weak, and hungry, living off the streets and forced to depend on others' charity, a blow to his pride.

Then…

"You must fight this evil, Syaoran."

The voice had echoed from the shadows. Syaoran could only see the crisp navy slacks, the lean legs crossed elegantly over each other, the black polished shoes glimmering slightly from the light that shone overhead.

"I am hiring you. You will have no need, no want. Work for me Syaoran."

It was easy to sell his soul to the mysterious figure who had one of his attendants open a suitcase full of crisp green bills. Another attendant opened a case packed with foam, cut away to fit a small white board, and a black silk necklace with a marbled green orb as a pendant. There was a small black cat that approached him, neatly tucking a picture in his mouth as it dropped it in front of him.

It was a girl with honey blonde hair… and the greenest eyes he had ever seen…

"Protect her. No matter what the cost."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"The same nightmare, Sakura-chan?"

Rika's voice sounded so comforting, even though it was laced with a hint of sleepiness. 

"I'm sorry Rika-chan… it's 2 am… I didn't realize…" Sakura was apologetic, trying to hold back her sniffles as she talked to one of the backup dancers in the Lounge, one of her closest friends.

"Iie… It's nothing… I just came back from the club anyway. But I'm worried about you. Can I come over?"

"Of course!"

Sakura's reply was immediate, smiling softly to realize that in a cold, bitter world, she at least had a friend she could count on… well, and Syaoran…

"All right, give me a minute to get dressed…" Rika let out another huge yawn before she hung up.

Sakura listened to the soft beep of the phone for a few moments before hanging up. She hugged her knees and sighed deeply… waiting for Rika.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

It was an ultimate faceoff. Syaoran could taste the dawn approaching, but the night was still far from over. He reached into his black suit jacket, and withdrew a small white board, detailed with blue Chinese characters drawn artistically over the decal. A bright blue sphere glowing in the center shot out a single beam, pointing straight out in front of him. The azure light pierced the girl standing in front of Syaoran, but she merely stood, the breeze sliding her short dark brown locks around her expressionless face. He smiled, but his amber eyes were narrowed, and glared with all the ferocity of a lion's, a Li trademark. His grip tightened on the sword, the hilt wrapped with a green ribbon, a golden decorative tassel hanging from it as he pointed it at the girl in front of him. Her eyes were dark and lifeless.

"I'm giving you one more chance. Get out of here, and I'll spare you the pleasure of tasting the end of my sword." Syaoran was in no mood to play games tonight.

She did not answer, and merely moved closer to him. Syaoran toed one foot in front of the other, assuming his fighting stance easily despite being dressed in black slacks and dress shirt. She chuckled softly, and leaned closer, sliding her hands along her firm breasts, accentuated by the thin white halter top she wore, and played with the waistband of her black miniskirt.

"You're so cute… did you really think you were any match for me?" she whispered sweetly, the dark gleam in her eyes wicked as she continued to paw herself, biting her lower lip as she let out a soft moan. "Why not put away your grownup toys and show me what a man you are… in bed?"

Hearing no response from him, she assumed it was safe to creep closer, licking her lips all the while, her heels clicking on the asphalt pavement as she reached up behind her neck, as if to untie her halter top in the middle of the street, hips swiveling as she neared him, almost within arm's reach…

Syaoran kept his composure, ignoring the way her hands were sliding up under her skirt, sweeping along the sweet flesh of her upper inner thighs… well, ignoring somewhat. He was a guy after all. He gripped his sword and charged, raising the blade close to the side of his head as he released a battle cry, eyes glowing golden yellow as he attacked.

"Yaaaaagghhh!"

The girl barely dodged out of the way, her hands snapping back away from her legs, done with the temptation routine. She growled and began to change, glowing an unsightly color of purple, the light emitting from her eyes and her open mouth as she tilted her head back in a silent scream, her palms extended as she let the evil overtake her body. When the transformation was complete, she jerked her head to him, soulless eyes glittering black as coal, her voice a demonic rasp, "Foolish mortal!"

She leapt into the air with inhuman strength, her long purple nails growing out suddenly, extending three feet to slash at him. He drew back, but winced; she got a piece of his clothes, the fabric tearing in neat strips.

"Ooh, my how those biceps bulge… better used for other things, Syaoran," she managed to purr as he slashed at her again, her nails a strong enough steel to defend herself before leaping away.

Syaoran did not bother to retort, unleashing a furious series of slashes, and sensing his opponent grow short of breath as she could merely dodge, he threw a yellow strip of paper, marked with angry red kanji, up into the sky and slapped his sword on it.

"Raiden—"

He stopped, his eyes frozen as he watched the girl jump 7 floors, and into a very familiar balcony…

"Sakura!" he swore before he let his wings out in a flurry of black raven feathers, chasing after the possessed girl into Sakura's apartment through the balcony.

"Rika—is that you?" came an uncertain voice.

_Shit. Of all the nights for her to be home_. Syaoran swore in his mind. This had to be over with quick before…

Syaoran grabbed the ofuda and pierced the sword through it, not wasting any time to jab it into her stomach. It was a shallow cut, but it was enough. The purple fog enveloping the girl dissipated, and soon, there was only a girl there, bleeding from the wound, choked gasps escaping her as she gripped the end of the sword, unable to summon the strength to pull it out.

"Rika?" The voice was behind him. Syaoran didn't dare turn around.

"Rika!" Sakura shrieked, finally recognizing her friend lying on the floor.

Syaoran tapped his green pendant on his neck and the sword dissolved into a shimmering green mist back into it. The moonlight bathed him invitingly. He knew Sakura would not see him well in the darkened room. His silhouette would be enough. He prayed to God that she wouldn't recognize him… Without another thought, he spread his wings, and took to the night sky again, shutting his eyes and pretending he couldn't hear Sakura's pained cries as she cradled Rika's head, stroking her hair as she died.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the lack of updates. I had finals… and then I had work, and had to deal with fatigue. coughs and hides the huge stack of videos behind her laptop with her foot I was also trying to decide what direction I was taking this fanfic. I wasn't sure what Sakura's reaction would be. I digressed, and I think it's time to move on…**

The cathedral had never been so beautiful. White chrysanthemums and light yellow roses were arranged in small bouquets, pinned to the end of each dark mahogany pew, white mesh trailing down to the marbled floor, floating lightly in the breeze that swept through the church. The service had been over for almost an hour, but there was still a soft murmur echoing through the church, the patrons slipping out slowly as they descended the steps. The soft hymn of the organ played, reaching to each dark-clad figure's heart in comforting melody. A polished, dark cherry wood coffin with brass accents glimmered at the altar's white marble steps. Sakura stared at her reflection through it, the dancing flames of candles flickering behind her. Her pale, slim fingers pressed against the smooth wood, a soft sigh escaping her as she shut her eyes, fresh tears dropping from long lashes.

"Rika…" she whispered weakly.

Polished black shoes stepped up next to her high heeled slingbacks. Syaoran was impeccably dressed in a black suit, a modest silver pin glimmering against the matching tie. His large palms squeezed around Sakura's slender shoulder, rubbing her closer to him. She obliged, leaning against him for support as she let her fingers slip from Rika's coffin. She sniffed before leaning her face against his chest, the black shawl slipping a little from her sleeveless dress, slender thighs glimmering under the short hem. He pressed a warm kiss at her forehead as he slowly pulled her away from the coffin. It was time to go.

A shiny silver Bentley was waiting for them at the bottom of the steps. The valet tossed Syaoran his keys and opened the door for Sakura, who, after pausing to give the church a final glance, got in the car. Syaoran tipped the valet a twenty before getting in himself, and drove off…

Sakura was gazing out the window before she realized the scenery was changing. She turned to him as she smoothed back her long locks, a small black ribbon still pinned to her hair.

"Ne, where are we going Syaoran?" she asked, slightly confused.

"England," he said shortly. He glanced in the rearview mirror at a black limousine that was trailing them since they had left the funeral home. "Well, eventually. We're going to the airfield. We'll buy stuff you need when we get to London, but I packed some of your stuff for you while you were in the hospital."

Sakura nodded, a little weakened as she remembered the previous night she spent by Rika's bed in the hospital when she slipped into a coma from blood loss. She had looked so pale, but peaceful, hooked up to twenty different monitors and tubes, a soft hiss of the humidifier and oxygen tanks whispering to the beeps of the heart monitor. "I'm assuming it's not a honeymoon vacation?" she chided softly.

Syaoran grinned. It had been a while since she had smiled.

"Just a little vacation for ourselves. You need a break," he said.

He smoothly pulled up in front of a large private jet, the sleek limousine neatly following. A young silver-haired man stepped out. He straightened the tie of his gray suit and helped unload the luggage in the trunk, pausing at times to push up his glasses to the bridge of his nose. He smiled faintly at Sakura as Syaoran opened the door for her, but didn't say anything as he carried their luggage up the stairs to the jet.

Sakura glanced at Syaoran curiously. "I did suspect you were wealthy, but I didn't think you'd own your own private plane."

Syaoran shook his head. "My boss's."

Sakura nodded, sensing the short answer implied a reluctance to discuss the matter. She knew Syaoran would tell her when he was ready. She merely held his hand as they took their seats in the luxurious interior of the jet. In a few minutes, they were airborne…

Sakura tapped her fingers sleepily as she laid her cheek against Syaoran's chest. Their legs were comfortably intertwined, one of Syaoran's arms wrapped around her, the other behind his head, propping it up as they lay on the bed. An uncorked bottle of Cristal rested in an ice bucket next to them. Sakura turned her head slightly to Syaoran. He smiled faintly, sensing she had something to ask…

"Syaoran?"  
"Hm?"

"When were you going to tell me about your wings?"

It was a full minute before Syaoran realized what she was asking. Even then, he repeated it over in his mind, numbly choking down the information.

"How—"

"I just want to know why Syaoran," she smoothly interrupted. "I trust you enough with my life. Why take Rika's?"

"Buh—"

Syaoran's mind shut down as he pulled slightly away, staring at her as the full gravity of the situation took hold. Sakura went on, filling the silence of his voice.

"I saw the… vapor disappear from Rika. I recognized you immediately and knew… that you must have killed my Otou-san, Okaa-san, Onii-chan, Tomoyo… everyone." Her words were flatly whispered, no trace of remembrance or love in her throat as she ticked off all the faces in her dreams that had been shrouded by dark feathers, the same wings she had seen on Syaoran that night… "I just want to know why Syaoran. Or is that too much to ask?"

Syaoran shook his head, almost afraid to hold her hand as she leaned comfortably against him.

"My boss, Eriol… he'll exp—" He was cut off by a sudden shimmering of light at the seat next to them.

"Tsk tsk, Syaoran. Talking about your boss behind your back at every opportunity, eh?" came the chiding English-accented voice. Syaoran groaned and let his head slump back in the bed. Sakura sat up, surprised, and a little embarrassed at having been caught lounging with Syaoran in bed, although they weren't doing anything… Eriol grinned faintly, and extended his hand over Syaoran to Sakura, who shook it awkwardly after a moment.

"I am Eriol. You can thank me for keeping your ass alive for the past 5 years."

It was all he needed to say to her. She felt the questions rise up in her throat, but she sensed he had only orbed into the plane for a more important purpose than showing off. Eriol turned to Syaoran, a small grin peeking up at the corners of his lips.

"Fantastic welcome party for you back on land, Syaoran. I'd say all of the possessed have gathered there. I've arranged for a Ninja to save you," he smiled innocently before disappearing in another blaze of glittering light without another word.

Syaoran's fierce amber eyes narrowed. "Damn git," he muttered under his breath, sitting up as he rubbed his messy locks. After a moment of silence, Sakura prodded him.

"Ninja? Why would we need a ninja at a welcome party? And aren't you good at martial arts already?" she asked.

"Sakura… when we get on land, we're going to have to do something a bit interesting…"

* * *

The ninja turned out to be a fierce armored motorcycle.

"This was Eriol's idea of saving my ass?" she screamed into Syaoran's ear as she tightened her grip around his middle, clinging onto dear life as he only sped up. Syaoran was glad to have his helmet.

BLAM BLAM BLAM

"You'll be fine for as long as the barrier holds up!" he yelled back to her, dodging another oncoming car.

"For as long as it holds up! Syaoran, if we live through this, I'm going to kill you!" she cried out.

The bullets ricocheted off the bright blue electric bubble surrounding the motorcycle, hovering above the asphalt as the motor roared. Syaoran expertly weaved through the tightest traffic. Behind them, an army of floating dark shadows pointed glocks and other large weapons of which Sakura didn't feel like taking a closer look of. She shut her eyes tightly as she wished she were imagining them, her grip around Syaoran almost suffocating as he raced down an alleyway. Sakura opened her eyes long enough to wonder why the hell people weren't running out of the way. If anything, they were giving Syaoran the finger as he sped through the London streets. But… she'd save that question for another time. For now…

"SYAORAAAAAAN!" she screamed.

**Yay for finding out about the ruler all by myself! ...After 5 chapters. All right, not my best ending to a chappie, but I thought a non-cliffhanger would be nice for a change. It wasn't a _real_ cliffhanger, was it? **


	6. Chapter 6

**I guess I could have been clearer in the last chapter… a Ninja is a kind of motorcycle… a very sweet one. Also, Sakura is not upset that Syaoran killed her family because she has grown to completely trust him. She saw the vapor disappear from Rika before she died, so she knows that something must have happened to make Syaoran kill them, but not what or why. Syaoran attempted to tell her, but Eriol interrupted. Perhaps we'll find out more in this chapter… Strange how I started procrastinating on this story _after_ my finals were done. Curious… **

A fire crackled in the hearth of the fireplace of the scarlet-themed room. It was a cavernous hall with blood-red silk drapes dripping from the ceiling in voluminous streamers, partially veiling the gothic architecture, softening the otherwise cold and dark room. Eriol puffed a cigar with satisfaction as he sat comfortably on a high backed chair at the center of the altar, his legs swung out over to the side as he leaned back sideways, tapping his foot to an inaudible melody, his sapphire eyes flicking up in front of him to a gleaming circle of light blazing in the air. It had a bright blue fire crackling along the outer edge, but inside, he could see Sakura clinging to Syaoran on the bike desperately as they avoided the spirit hunters' bullets.

"Safe as can be, Sakura-chan," he grinned before taking another drag on the cigar.

* * *

Sakura collapsed weakly onto the luxurious gold brocade sheets of the canopy bed in the hotel room. Syaoran went straight for the large picture windows, drawing all the drapes, and taking a small peak through the flap of the curtains. Sakura turned slightly on her side to look at him, her long hair mussed as she straightened, resting a hand on her hip, the other propping her head up. She coughed slightly for his attention, and he turned to her, trailing his eyes over the accentuate curve of her hips and legs.

"Are we safe?"

He nodded, and grinned as he sat down next to her on the bed. He wordlessly stroked her hair, smoothing it down behind her ears as he gazed into her glittering jade eyes. She blushed, clearing her throat as she raised a critical eyebrow at him.

"Care to explain what that was all about?" she asked.

He got up and fixed himself a drink at the minibar, not saying anything until the ice began to clink into the short glass he set on the marbled counter top. He returned with two glasses of rum and coke, handing one over to Sakura as he sat across from her on the plush white couch, taking a sip before starting his story…

"500 years ago in China, there was a powerful magician named Clow Reed. He was a mysterious man, and the villagers disliked him, even though he kept to himself and didn't cause anyone harm. Nobody knew what he did in his mansion on the hill that overlooked the town, but it was perhaps best that they didn't. Clow didn't practice dark magic, but he liked to experiment… and the results weren't always good. One in particular, was a deck of tarot cards he had enchanted to help the villagers with daily chores. It was a noble effort, to help those who only hated him, but it proved disastrous. After Clow released them, the cards obeyed none but the ones who proved themselves of high magic caliber. And in a small village of peasants, you can imagine it was rare. Fortunately, there proved to be a young woman who protected the village with a pure heart, and was able to capture all the cards before they did anyone serious harm. As a gift, he let her keep the deck of cards, knowing that her purity would guide her to do only good with the magic.

"But the villagers were furious, and set to chase Clow out of their town. They gathered in a mob in front of the mansion, and Clow was forced to make magic barriers around his property. The mob never gave up, and daily threw things at the barrier, as if testing its strength to decide a best time to attack. Clow was very sad, as he only wanted to help the villagers… His depression made him decide that even _he_ wasn't good enough for his powers. He arranged for final plans, including a will that equally divided his mansion's wealth among the poor villagers. He also created a final magic servant that would protect the young woman who caught all the cards. He planned for the servant, whom he called Yue, to love the young Chinese woman, and guard her with his life… The last spell he cast as Clow divided him into two individuals… one retained all the memories as Clow, but only half the magic. The other had the rest of the magic, but led a normal life as a human, his powers latent." Syaoran paused here to take another sip of the drink. Sakura could tell he was readying himself to tell her something huge…

"The one that retained his memories… his name is Eriol Hiiragizawa."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him. "You're telling me your boss is 500 years old?"

He nodded. "His spirit is. He reincarnates himself into another being on the first full moon after his death, and still retains all his memories. But… more importantly, the other fellow with the half of the powers… His name was Fujitaka Kinomoto."

Sakura froze. "That's my father's name."

"I know." His voice was expressionless, maybe slightly melancholy. It did not have the comfort she needed, so she took another long sip at her rum and coke.

"As Eriol Hiiragizawa reincarnated after the first full moon after the previous body's death, Fujitaka Kinomoto reincarnated as well. But leading a normal life, he was never aware of it."  
"He's been dead for a few years."  
"His new reincarnation is three years old."

She snorted. "My father, a three year old."

"With every reincarnation, he was also blessed with a daughter, the reincarnation of that same Chinese woman who caught all the Clow cards when they were released," Syaoran continued.  
"Bullshit. I'm the only daughter he has."  
"I know."  
"… So you're saying that I'm the reincarnation of this powerful Chinese woman from 500 years ago?"  
"Yes."  
"The only Tarot cards I've seen in my lifetime belonged to a fortune-telling crone at the school festival. And she smelled."  
"You still possess the power over the Clow cards. They will recognize the woman in you and listen to only you, Sakura."  
"You still haven't told me about the people who were after us. And what was that purple stuff that went away after you killed Rika?"

Syaoran winced slightly. With every death of her close family member, he felt the pierce of his magical sword as deeply as he had delicately stabbed them.

"Your have been blessed and cursed, Sakura, with incredible powers. The shadows after us are Soul Hunters."  
"Let me guess, they're hunting my soul?"  
"They are invisible to common humans, but they feed on their souls. They replace that soul with their being, and control their moves, their thoughts. They work under a higher being only with the gratitude of feeding off human souls. Should the Soul Hunters capture your soul, theoretically, they possess the power of the Clow cards."  
"Why not just possess me?"  
"Although you have not proved yourself the Mistress of the Clow Cards yet, their magic is loyal to only you. They protect you, and you can not be directly possessed. That's why the Soul Hunters possess the bodies of those closest to you, so that even if they should fail in killing you, they will have succeeded in causing you pain, making you more vulnerable to their attacks."  
"Prove myself as the Mistress of the Clow cards? I thought they were already captured and safe."  
"Every reincarnation of the Card Captor needs to pass the test. Yue has decided himself judge. He is immortal, and has his own brand of magic that releases the cards from the book when he senses the soul of the Card Captor."  
"Syaoran, I don't think I can capture cards right now."  
"You're right."

Sakura stared at him. "You said—"

"I know what I said. You can't control them right now. You need magical training to capture them first."  
"I don't know if anyone in the world specializes in a crash course on capturing Clow cards."  
"The Order of the Clow will train you."  
"Order what now?"  
"The Order of the Clow is a secret society dedicated to your protection and training, Sakura. You must prove yourself as the true Mistress of the Cards and capture them, and use the cards to defeat the evil behind the Soul Hunters. And if you should fail…"  
"I die?"  
"And worse. The balance of magic would be upset, and the world will collapse upon itself. God will destroy Earth."  
"So no pressure?"

"No pressure."

**Next chapter, you can look forward to meeting the high priestess of the Order of the Clow, high-speed racing, and more sweet scenes of Sakura + Syaoran. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I know it was a little confusing last chapter. Sorry about that. I wanted to stick in a bit more action, plump it with more plot, and whatnot, but I also wanted to speed up the story. Because it is I update by the chapter, and can't really go back and change how I wrote earlier chapters. It's literally publishing something page by page, without having a real grasp on what you're creating. I surprised myself with how the plotline came out, and I suspect it's going to morph even more in the future. Still, the main reason why it was confusing in the last chapter is because it was a lot of plot in a lot of conversation, merely _explaining_** **crap that was going on, not showing it like I aimed to do in all my writing. I also nixed out a lot of movement while they were talking to lessen the confusion, and aimed it into a more rapid-fire speech, kind of like the speed-talking on Gilmore Girls. If I had the choice, I'd probably rewrite the whole chapter with more artistic finesse, or leak out more of the plotline in earlier chapters instead of doing a verbal diarrhea all over the page. But what's done is done, and I digress, so on with the show. **

A dark shadow slinked about the room, looming over the bed. The figure grinned mischievously as he yanked the covers away from the canopy bed with a grand flourish. A slender figure was revealed, curled up in only a black t-shirt with the hotel's emblem on the back. Her long lean legs glimmered against the white sheets as the girl shivered. Sakura moaned softly and rolled over on the bed, ducking her head under the comfort of a fluffy pillow.

"For the love of God, get away from me," she grumbled sleepily.

Syaoran, bare-chested and dressed in the matching pajama bottoms, merely chuckled and grabbed hold of her ankle, dragging her out of bed. She kicked him irritably, trying to pinch her eyes shut from the intrusive glare of sunlight streaming in the room, but he overpowered her and in cave-man fashion, slung her over his shoulder and deposited her in the bathroom tub. She glowered at him as she rubbed her messy locks back away from her face with as much dignity as she could muster. He waved before shutting the door behind him, making sure he heard the water running before glancing over a scarlet leather-bound menu with a gold tassel dangling from the binding. He picked up the white hotel phone on the nightstand, taking a seat on the unmade bed.

"Hello, room service? Yes I'd like to have our breakfast served in our room today…"

* * *

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom in a plush white bathrobe that was loosely tied around her slender waist, rubbing her head with a fluffy white towel. She paused drying herself off as she glanced around the room.

"I didn't realize I was in the shower for that long, Syaoran."

The room had transformed into a jungle of wild and exotic flowers, emerald vines wrapping around the posts of the bed, a cascade of petals dripping off the canopy with magical sparkles. The carpet was strewn with jeweled flowers, which Sakura carefully sidestepped as she tried to find Syaoran in the mess.

"Syaoran?" she called out uncertainly, glancing at a tiger lily that blossomed and tightened back into a bud repeatedly before her eyes.

"Welcome to the first test of your magic training, Sakura."

It was not Syaoran's voice.

"Eh?" Sakura whirled around, trying to locate the speaker. Suddenly aware of the looming shadow over her, she raised her head slowly.

"Oh…dear," she swore under her breath as she took a step back, emerald eyes glimmering up at the source of the shadow…

* * *

"Sakura!" Syaoran yelled.

As soon as Sakura had stepped in, an overly bright light had emanated from the bathroom, accompanied by a soft unearthly shriek. Syaoran grunted as he fought the sudden weight pressing down on his arms and legs, pinning him back to an armchair as he struggled to get up, straining against invisible bonds. Eriol had orbed almost immediately after, wagging his finger at Syaoran as he stared down at him, as a parent would do to a naughty child.

"You shouldn't interfere with the Order of the Clow, Syao-kun."

Syaoran glared up at the twinkling blue eyes that hid behind a silver framed pair of glasses. The small oval lenses glinted at him with similar leering mockery.

"She's hardly prepared to take her first training now," he spat acidly to Eriol.

"And when would she be ready, Syao-kun? After you finish wiping out the few friends she has left?" Eriol smiled.

"Hiiragizawa…" his voice shook. Syaoran trembled with rage, already tested to his limits. He was helpless as he watched the Soul Hunters easily claim Sakura's family and friends, forcing him to kill them with the magic seals provided by Clow's high priestess… but damned if he was going to be helpless now for Sakura.

Eriol smiled as he conjured up the blazing circle of blue fire, the sectioned mirror reflecting the image of Sakura before an enormous harpy, the feathered wings unfurled in all its regal glory. "Just be a good boy for once, Syao-kun, and enjoy the show."

* * *

"How beautiful…" Sakura whispered as she marveled at the creature she assumed to be female. It was naked, but covered entirely with brilliant plumes of grey, a sharp eagle's beak the only deformation on its humanoid face. The piercing blue eyes seemingly stabbed through to her racing heart.

It only replied with a shrieking cry, stomping its clawed feet, the talons easily splintering through the rich fabric of interwoven magic flowers and hotel carpet. The sound sent a chill through Sakura, but she was not so afraid… she felt it speak to her…

* * *

"She's going to get killed! For God's sakes, you hired me to protect her!" Syaoran yelled bitterly at Eriol who merely sat across from him comfortably on the couch, watching the hovering magic screen that broadcasted Sakura.

"Oh bully, Syaoran. I can't hear the telly with you yammering on like that," Eriol said with a trace of annoyance in his voice.

"Fuck you!" Syaoran snapped back as he watched the bird trash the room.

* * *

Sakura's eyes followed the creature, which only seemed to grow more agitated in the confines of the hotel room.

"What's wrong?" she whispered softly to it, stretching out her right hand slowly to it. "Are you hurt?"

There was an unexplainable rush of emotions welling in her heart.It was calling to her… As ferocious as this beast seemed, she felt its gentleness… its loneliness…

* * *

"Now that's precisely the kind of childish behavior that makes you such a prat, Syao-kun," Eriol said brusquely.

He snapped his fingers and conjured several tea cookies to stuff themselves in Syaoran's mouth.

"Now shut up. It's getting good."

**Getting good indeed. Yay cliffhanger! If you don't understand anything, feel free to leave a review. I like answering them. **


End file.
